


Sunshine (Through My Window)

by EdibleNonsense



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Emotions, Gen, Sickfic, constructive criticism could be welcome if you're nice about it, discussions of family, implied father-son sort of kind of relationship but could be friends or bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:34:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,452
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26606812
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EdibleNonsense/pseuds/EdibleNonsense
Summary: Neither of them really ever had any family other than each other.
Relationships: Chiaotzu & Tenshinhan (Dragon Ball)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	Sunshine (Through My Window)

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this in my Google docs drafts for a while, but didn't want to publish it since a.) it's really self-indulgent with my own personal headcanons and ideas about these two and b.) the state of the world, currently, makes the sickfic angle seem kind of gauche. If you hate it or think it's OOC, then blame it on the fact it wasn't supposed to be written for anyone other than me! But I felt like I haven't posted anything in a hot minute so here you all go.

Chiaotzu looked so small in that bed. That was the first thing Tien noticed.

With the dark green comforter pulled up directly under his chin, his eyes were scrunched closed as he continued to sleep fitfully. The only sign of life was from the rise and fall of his chest, so slight it was easily missed if you stood far enough back. Almost like he was in a trance, Tien paced over to the wooden chair set up next to the edge of the bed. Without taking his gaze off the pale face in front of him, he lowered himself into the seat, resting his hands listlessly in his lap. 

“Sir, you were right to call me. I’ve never seen something like this before. Here I was thinking you were overreacting and he had just eaten a poorly prepared piece of fish,” the elderly doctor added over his shoulder with a short laugh. 

Tien didn’t reply. 

Sensing Tien wasn’t the kind of man to joke with to diffuse the tension, the doctor switched back to speaking seriously. “Is the door—?”

“It’s down the hall and to the right. Thank you.” The words were said out loud, but Tien couldn’t sense his lips moving. 

He did take notice of the receding footsteps as the man left their small mountain dwelling. But time seemed to stop after that. The only thing Tien could focus on was Chiaotzu’s beleaguered breathing. Every time Chiaotzu drew air in, he seemed to struggle to hold it fully until he finally released it with a shudder. Tien couldn’t take his eyes off him. Something deep within his gut told him that if he did, it would somehow affect the boy. 

_That’s ridiculous,_ he told himself silently. Checking over your shoulder couldn’t control this situation. This illness wasn’t a tangible enemy. And even so, Chiaotzu had to fight this alone. Tien could comfort him but he couldn’t truly aid him in this circumstance; he had no power here. 

Clenching his hands tightly together, he sat like a stone. The hard wood had long since made his legs numb, but he couldn’t bring himself to stand. Like molasses, time trickled past on the clock on the wall. Outside, the setting sun started to dim the light of the room, casting long shadows on the meager decorations scattered around. 

It was a small cough from Chiaotzu that finally made Tien move. Almost jumping, he stood straight up, the muscles in his legs screaming from the sudden swift movement. Pins and needles followed soon after.

“Chiaotzu?” Tien questioned softly. His hands were hovering above the bedside table, at the ready to grab anything needed. 

No reply came. Instead, Chiaotzu rolled his head over slightly, obviously still asleep. His eyelids were still squeezed closed, tension clearly pressing down on him from within and jabbing its cold knife into his skull.

Something twisted in Tien’s chest. 

_He’s taken medicine, he’s under the warmest comforter we own, he’s resting. What else?_

There had to be something he was missing, he was sure. Every sane part of him admonished his mind for not knowing what to do. The short bursts of pain making the smaller of the two’s face twist ever-so-slightly sent chills down Tien’s spine. 

He stood like that for almost a full minute before a thought occurred to him. It was just a small gesture. It wouldn’t help. But it was something.

Ever so haltingly, Tien reached his left hand out. Concentrating on nothing but what was in front of him, he laid his palm flat on Chiaotzu’s cheek, his hand cupping the smooth skin of the smaller of the two’s face. His loose grip had a sense of hesitancy to it, almost like if he made one wrong move Chiaotzu would break from the touch. 

Instead of Chiaotzu flinching in his sleep like Tien feared, he saw the muscles in the boy’s face relax. The tension coloring his features from earlier melted away like snowflakes in the burning midday sun. Sleepily turning his neck back around in the small of movements, he burrowed closer to Tien’s hand. Soon, Chiaotzu was resting the whole weight of his head against his palm, eyes still closed shut.

Tien stood silently. 

_He’s just doing it instinctively,_ he told himself. _Nothing more._

If he were being honest, part of him was grateful Chiaotzu was asleep. There was no doubt in his mind he would never feel comfortable reaching out if Chiaotzu weren’t in this state. 

After all, deep inside, Tien knew he wasn’t very… warm. Not like Goku, who always had a smile for everyone around him; not like Yamcha or Krillin, experts at breezily striking up a conversation without thinking twice; not even like Launch, who, despite her brashness, never hesitated to provide her own brand of encouragement whenever needed. 

Maybe it was just his nature. Quiet. Subdued. Reserved. 

In martial arts, those traits were prized; you didn’t want to let your opponent in on your every move. Being someone who embodied those attributes had never bothered him before. In fact, it was almost seen as fact to both himself and anyone else he knew. It was just… who he was.

He furrowed his brows as he stood in place, still rolling these thoughts around in his head. This revelation shouldn’t bother him to this degree. So why did it? 

_Chiaotzu knows I care about him._

Out of the blue, the sentence came to him like an arrow piercing his heart. 

Shaking his head, he thought about it again. _Of course he does._

It seemed unthinkable. There was such an easy calmness between the two of them, an imperceptible sense of familiarity that lay beneath every action and conversation. To Tien, being around Chiaotzu came as easy as breathing. He was the only family he had in this world. Hanging his head, he couldn’t bear to bring his eyes back up to where they were before. Then he spoke. A whisper, barely audible to even himself.

“I’m sorry.”

Uncurling his hand, he turned to sit back down. Although Tien didn’t see, Chiaotzu’s brow furled slightly in confusion in his sleep at the disappearance of the warmth, his head lolling back against the pillow where it was before. The clock on the wall continued to tick away the seconds, the only sound in the room coming from the wind howling outside.

* * *

“Another cup, please!” 

Chiaotzu called the words from the other room, hands folded in front of him. His voice was strong and clear, a far cry from the strangled wheezing from before. 

“Of course.” Tien circled around the doorway, taking the mug that was sitting on the coaster. 

The sounds of the hot liquid sloshing inside the cup was the only sound inside the house, soon followed by a set of footsteps entering the room once again. 

“Thank you,” Chiaotzu replied with a short giggle as he saw that Tien had added an overwhelming amount of honey to the drink. 

“It’s more sugar than tea at this point,” Tien commented dismissively, busy bending down to shove the comforter under the bed. Outside, the sun was beaming down once again. The remnants of the storm from before had evaporated in the harsh light of day. 

“It’s ok. I still like it.” Turning the cup in his hands, Chiaotzu stared down at it with a faint smile. It quietly melted into a tired sigh that made Tien turn his head. 

“Do you need me to leave you so you can rest more?”

“No, no,” Chiaotzu rushed to reply, snapping his head back up to look at the taller of the two. “I was just…” He paused. “Have you ever had a dream that felt like it really happened? Like, in real life?” 

Tien saw the worry behind his eyes and decided to venture to ask more. “Perhaps. What was this dream about?” 

“Well…” His voice was almost inaudible. Chiaotzu turned to the drink again, sloshing the liquid against the cup’s sides.

His face growing uncharacteristically serious, Chiaotzu didn’t continue speaking. Instead, he just stared blankly at the bottom of the cup, like he was searching for answers in the murky tea. Tien, unsure of what to do next, continued to stand gazing at him. He racked his mind for something to say, but it came up blank. Until Chiaotzu spoke again.

“Sometimes I wonder why… my par—” 

The word instantly got choked in his throat, but Tien knew immediately what he meant. 

Hearing a thick layer of sorrow in Chiaotzu’s voice that made his heart sink, Tien continued to listen in silence, slowly drawing closer to the bedside. 

“Why they didn’t want me. Where… where they could be.” The last sentence came out in a whisper. “And I thought… I saw them.” 

“Saw them?” Tien sounded alarmed.

Deep inside, something twisted in his stomach, but not for his own sake. The identity of whoever his parents were never bothered him. The days when they could have helped him were long gone, his innocence gone along with them. Even in his neediest moments, the thought had never crossed his mind that they would be anything other than indifferent to his existence, if even that. After all, leaving your infant child in the care of a merciless killer was as strong an indication as he needed. There was nothing to be gained from a set of names or a half-yellowed photograph. But it had never occurred to him that Chiaotzu thought differently. 

“I-In the dream, I mean,” Chiaotzu quickly clarified. His fingers curled and uncurled from their hold on the still-steaming mug. 

“I see.” In truth, Tien didn’t. But the feeling from earlier clawed at his stomach and pushed him to respond. 

Almost like the floodgates had opened, Chiaotzu’s words came tumbling out all at once. “It took me by surprise because it felt so real. I-I thought I was really awake. Because I was lying in the woods and they were just… there.” A short intake of breath. 

Nodding once, Tien stood without moving his lips. Waiting, thinking. It didn’t feel right to interrupt with any comments just yet. 

“Then they bent down, but I couldn’t move my arms or mouth or legs. I really, really wanted to… to just see their faces.” Another short shudder. “They were right in front of me but I couldn’t see them for some reason.” 

Tien opened his mouth to fill the pause with some aimlessly comforting words, but Chiaotzu didn’t take notice and continued on before he could interject. 

“I was so scared because I couldn’t move. And I didn’t want them to walk away. I just…” He shook his head slightly. “I wanted them to talk to me. To look at me.” 

Tien nodded again. The feeling twisted its way into his throat. 

“And then…” He took a breath in. “I felt them. They put their arms around my neck and hugged me.” 

Chiaotzu shifted a bit in his bed, his eyes still concentrating on the liquid in his cup. His voice got softer. 

“I could feel them rest their heads against my face. They were both so warm. Like the sun.” 

Suddenly self-conscious, he chanced a quick glance up at Tien before continuing. “A-Anyway, I never got to see their faces because I woke up right after. But I wish I had.” 

“I see.” Tien kept his voice even as he pieced together the words Chiaotzu was saying with his own realization of what had caused the sensation in the dream. Best to keep quiet. Saying even a word would not only ruin the illusion but also the happiness laced in Chiaotzu’s voice. 

The two were silent for another minute as Chiaotzu slowly sipped his tea, his attention back on the drink. Tien sat staring out the window, but he couldn’t help but catch a glimpse of Chiaotzu staring blankly at the bed covers.

“It’s kind of stupid,” Chiaotzu finally whispered under his breath to break the silence.

“Not at all.” Busying himself by standing up and reaching over to open the curtain, Tien spoke plainly. “I’ve never wondered about my own parents, but I can understand why someone would.” 

“Mmh.” Chiaotzu nodded in agreement with a small sound. Then he paused. “You really haven’t ever wondered about them?”

Tien thought about the long nights when Tao or Shen would instruct him to meditate until his mind frayed or his lungs collapsed from exhaustion. He thought about the way he had taught himself to steady his own breath, calm his own heart, stay on his feet even when the soles of his shoes rubbed into his toes enough to make them bleed. He had quickly risen through the ranks to be the star pupil of the school and he keenly felt the pressure that came with it. All the knowledge he gained came through nothing but repetition. He thought about the days when he would hunger for any scrap of praise, any sign the long days were worth the toil. Eventually, that hunger turned into a numbness that spread throughout him, reminding him that nothing he would ever accomplish could truly satisfy them. 

But then his mind turned to Chiaotzu. Chiaotzu shivering in the cold rain. Chiaotzu looking up at him with silently scared eyes across the room. Chiaotzu falling into lockstep behind him as they walked through the dark woods. Chiaotzu’s hand grasping onto his pants leg in fear. 

“I never saw a need to. My mind was elsewhere.” 

“Oh,” Chiaotzu said quietly, nodding just a bit. Tien could tell by the way he was glancing at him that he wasn’t quite sure what to say next. 

“They’re fools, anyway,” Tien muttered. 

Chiaotzu whipped his head around, eyes wide. “W-What?”

Before he could censor himself, Tien added, “Your parents. They were fools to leave you.” 

Face blank, Chiaotzu blinked twice and just stared at him. Immediately, a deep sense of shame fell over Tien and he could feel his face heat up. He hadn’t meant to reply so hastily, and certainly not in such an overly forward way. 

“Th… Thank you.” 

The hushed words came out in a low whisper. Out of the corner of his eyes, Tien could see a soft smile grow on Chiaotzu’s face. The sight made him feel like a deer in the headlights. He couldn’t look right at it. Tentatively, Chiaotzu opened his mouth and started to speak again.

“Thank you.” This time the words resounded a bit more firmly in the small room. 

“No need to thank me,” Tien replied with a smile finally starting to spread across his face. The two sat again in silence, but this time it wasn’t uncomfortable in the slightest.

**Author's Note:**

> I really appreciate all kudos, comments, and feedback 😊


End file.
